Walter E. Marks

Walter E. Marks (February 16, 1905 – November 24, 1992) was an American football, basketball, and baseball player, coach, college athletics administrator, sports official, and university instructor. Marks played football, basketball, and baseball at the University of Chicago. Between 1927 and 1955 he served as the head football, basketball, baseball, and golf coach at Indiana State University, with hiatuses from 1930 to 1931, when he earned a master's degree at Indiana University, and from 1942 to 1945, when he served United States Army Air Forces during World War II. Marks was best known for his football and baseball coaching career(s); though his tenure as basketball coach was highlighted by the Sycamores' run to the semifinals of the 1936 U.S. Olympic Trials.

Walter E. Marks
Biographical details
Born(1905-02-16)February 16, 1905
Ottumwa, Iowa
DiedNovember 24, 1992(1992-11-24) (aged 87)
Terre Haute, Indiana
Playing career
1924–1927Chicago
Position(s)Fullback, halfback (football)
Guard (basketball)
Pitcher, outfielder (baseball)
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1927–1930Indiana State
1930–1932Indiana (assistant)
1933–1941Indiana State
1946–1948Indiana State
Basketball
1927–1931Indiana State
1933–1938Indiana State
Baseball
1929–1931Indiana State
1934–1937Indiana State
1942Indiana State
1946–1947Indiana State
1949–1955Indiana State
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1948Indiana State (interim AD)
Head coaching record
Overall62–56–8 (football)
90–58 (basketball)
108–81–1 (baseball)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
Baseball
4 IIC (1930, 1946–1947, 1949)

Marks also served as the Indiana State's athletic director. In total, Marks spent 44 years at Indiana State rising from instructor to the Dean of the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, now known as the College of Nursing, Health, and Human Services. He held two degrees from the University of Chicago, a BA and a PhD, and three from Indiana University, an MA, a doctorate in physical education, and a doctorate of education. At his retirement in 1971, Indiana State's home track and field venue was dedicated in his honor. Marks reached the rank of major in the United States Army Air Forces and spent 44 months in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations.

Playing career

At the University of Chicago, Marks was an outstanding athlete. A three-sport performer, he earned a total of eight varsity letters in football, basketball, and baseball, was an ROTC Cadet Major, and held membership in several honorary fraternities. He played varsity football for three years under the Maroons' coach, Amos Alonzo Stagg. As a sophomore, he played fullback for Chicago's last Big Ten Conference football championship team in 1924. He was a regular halfback on the 1925 and 1926 Maroon teams and captained the 1926 team. For two years, he was a regular starting guard on the Maroons' basketball team. As a pitcher and an outfielder, he played on Chicago's baseball team for three years and had a .399 batting average as a sophomore. Marks also played professional baseball. While pitching for Terre Haute of the Three-I League, he defeated Carl Hubbell of Decatur in a 17-inning masterpiece.[1]

Head coaching career

Football

Marked finished his career as the leader in wins (he currently stands at #2). His 1933 team finished at 7–1 record. This record still ranks as the second best in the school's history; trailing Coach Jerry Huntsman's 1968 team (9–1). His homecoming record was 8–5.

Basketball

He finished his career as the leader in wins (he currently stands at #7). Led the Sycamores to a semifinal finish in the 1936 U.S. Olympic Trials. His 1929–30 team finished at 16–2; it still ranks among the finest season performances of any ISU team with its .888 winning percentage.

Baseball

He finished his career as the leader in wins (he currently stands at #4). He led the Sycamores to Indiana Intercollegiate Conference titles in 1930, 1946, 1947 and 1949.

Officiating and military athletics instruction

Marks was a Big Ten Conference official for twenty years with tenures of eight years in basketball and 16 years in football. He officiated the 1960 Rose Bowl and retired at the close of the 1964 football season. In 1954, and again in 1960, he was named by the Big Ten and the United States Department of Defense as a member of an instructional staff presenting football officiating clinics for United States military personnel in Germany.

Honors

Head coaching record

Football
Year Team Overall ConferenceStanding Bowl/playoffs
Indiana State Sycamores (Independent) (1927–1930)
1927 Indiana State 4–2–1
1928 Indiana State 4–3
1929 Indiana State 5–2–1
1930 Indiana State 5–3–1
Indiana State Sycamores (Independent) (1933)
1933 Indiana State 7–1
Indiana State Sycamores (Indiana Intercollegiate Conference) (1934–1941)
1934 Indiana State 3–53–3
1935 Indiana State 5–34–14th
1936 Indiana State 2–3–22–0–12nd
1937 Indiana State 1–71–4T–12th
1938 Indiana State 1–71–411th
1939 Indiana State 2–60–314th
1940 Indiana State 5–1–22–1T–6th
1941 Indiana State 5–2–12–1–1T–7th
Indiana State Sycamores (Indiana Intercollegiate Conference) (1946–1947)
1946 Indiana State 4–42–4T–10th
1947 Indiana State 5–32–1
Indiana State Sycamores (Independent) (1946–1948)
1948 Indiana State 4–4
Indiana State: 62–56–819–22–1
Total:62–56–8

Basketball
Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Indiana State Sycamores (Indiana Intercollegiate Conference) (1927–1938)
1927–28 Indiana State 12–5
1928–29 Indiana State 15–4
1929–30 Indiana State 16–28–21st
1930–31 Indiana State 7–8
1933–34 Indiana State 8–9
1934–35 Indiana State 13–4
1935–36 Indiana State 12–4U.S. Olympic Trials
1936–37 Indiana State 7–6
1937–38 Indiana State 1–171–9
Indiana State: 90–58 (.608)
Total:90–58 (.608)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

Baseball
Overall Conference
Year School W L T Pct W L T Pct Postseason
1929 Indiana State 5 4 1 .550
1930 Indiana State 7 1 0 .875 Indiana Intercollegiate Conference Champions
1931 Indiana State 6 2 0 .750
1934 Indiana State 5 3 0 .625
1935 Indiana State 5 5 0 .500
1936 Indiana State 7 5 0 .583
1937 Indiana State 1 7 0 .125
1942 Indiana State 5 3 0 .625
1946 Indiana State 7 3 0 .700 Indiana Intercollegiate Conference Champions
1947 Indiana State 11 2 0 .846 Indiana Intercollegiate Conference Champions
1949 Indiana State 12 4 0 .750 Indiana Intercollegiate Conference Champions
1950 Indiana State 10 5 0 .667
1951 Indiana State 8 8 0 .500
1952 Indiana State 8 5 0 .615
1953 Indiana State 3 9 0 .250
1954 Indiana State 6 10 0 .600
1955 Indiana State 5 6 0 .455
Overall Totals 108 81 2 .571

See also

References
  1. https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.cgi?id=marks-008---
  2. http://www.gosycamores.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=15200&KEY=&ATCLID=3714314&SPID=10510&SPSID=107080
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